The only two pairings to win more consecutive Grand Slam titles than Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in history

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The Grand Slam season has officially come to an end following Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph over Jannik Sinner in the US Open final.

Alcaraz beat Sinner for the 10th time in his career at Arthur Ashe Stadium to clinch a sixth major and reclaim world number one status.

In three of the four Grand Slam finals this year, the Spaniard and the Italian have faced off for the title, and have both won two crowns each for the second year in a row.

Sinner went back-to-back at the Australian Open before winning Wimbledon for the first time in the summer, while Alcaraz emerged victorious at both Roland Garros and the US Open for the second time.

They have now split the last eight majors between them, making them the pairing with the third most consecutive men’s singles championships in the Open Era.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are closing in on Grand Slam history

Just ahead of them with nine are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who, between them, secured every Grand Slam from May 2018 to May 2020.

In that time, Nadal added three more to his Roland Garros tally, as well as claiming his fourth and final US Open title.

Djokovic, on the other hand, picked up five altogether, including two in Melbourne, a couple more in London, and one in New York.

The pairing with the most consecutive Grand Slam titles, however, is Nadal and Roger Federer, who earned 11 from May 2005 to September 2007.

Both legends enjoyed incredible streaks, with the Spaniard winning four straight at the French Open, and the Swiss star clinching five in a row in the Big Apple.

It was not until 2008 that their dominance on the biggest stages came to an end, when Djokovic won his first major at the Australian Open.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will likely surpass Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s record

With just three more Grand Slams to win in order to equal the record set by Federer and Nadal, Sinner and Alcaraz will likely achieve the feat next year.

The emergence of a third star who could match their level does not appear to be on the horizon any time soon, and for Djokovic, now 38, it will only get harder to keep up with them.

Not only do they continue to improve, but they are finding more success on their least favourite surfaces.

Sinner, who struggled on grass early on in his career, won Wimbledon this season, while Alcaraz, whose highest win percentage comes on clay and grass, has now won a second US Open title.

The gulf in class between the ‘new two’ and the rest of the field is a sizable one, and will only get bigger as time goes on.